Pole-dancing may have a colorful reputation, but these days, it's gaining notoriety as a great form of exercise — thanks in large part to the hit movie "Hustlers," in which Jennifer Lopez's Ramona teaches her protegé (Constance Wu) the secrets of her impressive, challenging routines.
Experts say pole dancing is one of the most challenging workouts you can do; it took J.Lo months to nail her "Hustlers" routine. That appears to have inspired other exercisers: Searches for "pole dancing class" in Los Angeles have climbed 175% over the past year, according to Google Trends.
With interest on the rise among the city's health and wellness mavens, we scoured data from the fitness subscription service ClassPass to find the best spot in town to try it: the "Open Pole" class The Vertitude, which is the most frequently offered pole dancing class in the LA area.
For the flexibility to try this class and dozens of other unique fitness offerings, ClassPass gives you access to thousands of studios, gyms and wellness offerings where you live, where you work and where you travel.
Open Pole at The Vertitude
8511 Canoga Ave., Canoga Park
"Open Pole" is on offer up to 39 times a week at The Vertitude. The studio also offers jazz and ballet dance, yoga and aerial hammock sessions.
The one-hour class “is a scheduled, unstructured time to do your pole homework,” the studio writes on ClassPass. “There is no instructor or formal class. This is your time to work on everything you need to practice.”
It’s available up to eight times weekdays — but be aware, sessions at 5 p.m. and later tend to be more crowded, according to ClassPass data. The average number of people enrolled for a session is three, but the studio has seen bookings of up to seven.
The city’s Yelpers give The Vertitude positive ratings, with 74% of its 49 reviews coming in at five stars.
In August, reviewer Emily D. wrote, “Whether you're new to the studio or not, everyone is supportive of you, cheers you on, helps you out, etc.”
Some reviewers were less positive on the experience. As Yelper Stephanie B. noted in May, "there were not enough poles for everyone, so I was left to share a pole with my friend and we both definitely did not get enough time as everyone to practice.”
Interested in trying it out? The Vertitude suggests on ClassPass that you show up 15 minutes before the scheduled class time, and recommends shorts or leggings — it also says to avoid oil-based lotions the day of class, as it will make the pole slippery.
If you're ready to take on the challenge, you can sign up on ClassPass. To learn more about the studio, visit Instagram (thevertitude) and Facebook.
Does pole dancing have a place in your weekly workouts, or do you walk another fitness path less-traveled? Tell us about it in the comments!
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